Belt unloader for control of material flow



June 9, 1953 H. HUDSON BELT UNLOADER FOR CONTROL 0 MATERIAL FLOW FiledMarch 16, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 9, 1953 L, HUDSON 2,641,355

BELT UNLOADER FOR CONTROL OF MATERIAL FLOW Filed March 16, 1949Sheets-Sheet Z June 9, 1953 H. LLHUDSON 34L BELT UNLOADER FOR CONTROL OFMATERIAL FLOW Filed March 16, 1949 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 1N1VIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIII VIII/1,11,. II I v :NVENTOR.

Patented June 9, 1953 UNITED STATEd rarest OFFICE BELT UNLOADER FOBCONTROL'OF MATERIAL FLOW Harold Louis Hudson, Ottawa Lake, Mich.

Application March 16, 1949, Serial No. 81,780

ing of a stream of the material. accurately sub-- dividing the flow anddiverting the sub-divisions into channels leading to further processing,packaging or other disposition.

An object of the "invention is to provide a SYS- tem of conveyorswherein one or more of the conveyors receives a flow of materialthereonto in an uneven pile 'therealong and this flow or stream istransferred to another conveyor and deposited thereon in a transverselyevenly distribute-d stream.

An additional object of this invention is to provide means cooperatingwith the latter'conveyor to sub-divide the evenly distributed streaminto smaller streams each having a predetermined volume and weight flow.

A further object of this invention is to provide means for divertingthese sub-divided streams from the conveyor to other handling equipmentprimarily at a rate of flow matching the capacity of the equipment towhich the material is supplied.

An additional obi-est of this invention is to provide means foraccurately regulating the subdivision of the major flow through simplemechanisms operable during the system operation.

And an additional and important feature of this invention is acombination of two or more of the above features whereby streams of likeor diiierent materials may be transported from separate sources,comieined, mixed or blended and deposited on one or more conveyors intransversely even sheets of predetermined mixes for furthertransportation and subdivision and transfer to other equipment.

This invention is a conveyor system useful between the productionequipment and the disposition equipment. It is adapted to handle suchmaterials as potato products such as chips, strips and the like,pop-corn, peanuts, candy and the like whereby these articles arereceived from the kettles or other bulk supply sources, spread in aneven layer on one of the conveyors and this controlled streamsub-divided and the sub-divisions diverted to packaging machines at arate matching the capacity of the packaging machines. Furthermore, as anexample, different candies, tfoods or other articles, may :be mixed intoa predetermined mix and the mix then d'elivered to packaging equipment.

Other objects and advantages of this invention relating to thearrangement, operation and function of the related elements of thestruoture, to various details of construction, to com 2 u binations ofparts and to economies of menu facture, will be apparent to thoseskilled in the art upon consideration of the following description andappended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawingsforming a part of this specification wherein like reference charactersdesignate corresponding parts in the several views.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. l is a plan view of the parts of a conveyor system embodyingfeatures of the inven tion herein;

Fig. 2 is a transverse section through the con veyor unit whichinitially received the material Fig. 4 is a section on the line IVIV,Fig. 1;

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic lay-out in plan of a conveyor system, embodyingfeatures of the 'invention herein; the system being particularly adaptedto blending or mixing large quantities of materials and delivering aplurality of -sulo.

divisions thereof to additional handling stations;

Fig. 6 is an end ViEW of one of the sub-dividing and material divertingblades and its mounting frame;

Fig. 7 is a view of the mechanism of Fig. -6 from the left thereof; and

Fig. 8 is a front elevation of a control blade provided with a modifiedform of adjusting mechanism therefor.

Conveyor ioelt ii] is mounted to travel in a substantially horizontalplane along frame 12 between load confining walls. These walls l4 are ofa height and extent to confine the particular material to be handled toa predeter mined path. This conveyor is preferably posi tioned to haveits load receiving reach adjacent.

a material source such as the material producing equipment, bulk"delivery depot or the like. It is the usual procedure to have thematerial 16 fed thereon in such a manner that the .cen.

in the region above the second conveyor so that material from the firstconveyor may be diverted therethrough into chute 28 having its floorinclined downwardly from the clearway through a plurality of differentangular extents 36, 32, toward the conveyor 20.

The frames I2, 22, have a plurality of vertically extending posts 34fixed thereon. Selected pairs of the supports 34 mount inverted channelmembers 36 therebetween to extend in predetermined angular directionsacross one or both of the conveyors. The mounting elements comprisecollars 38 welded or otherwise attached to the sides of the channels 36,which collars surround the posts 34 and are adjustable therealong to belocked at the proper working heights by set screws 40.

In a typical system (Fig. 1) three parallel frame elements 36 arepositioned to extend angularly across the conveyor Ill and the chute 28.Additional like frame elements 36 are fabricated into a cross-like framepositioned over the conveyor 26 remote from the chute.

Each inverted channel 36 has mounted therein one side 42 each of a pairof L-angle members having the other sides 44 depending therefrom to forma clearway 46 therebetween and into chamber 48 defined by the channeland the sides 42.

The frames are each provided with a blade 50 having its lower edge 52floating on the surface of the conveyors. the blades is their gravitycontact on th surface of the coacting conveyor. These blades extendupwardly through the clearways or slots 46 into their respectivechambers 48 and may have their upper edges 54 reinforced by coextensiveangle members 56 which also serve to add Weight to the blades and retainthe blades in position in the frames while being mounted. The chamber 36and slot 46 therefrom are so dimensioned that the blade and its loadededge is free from any contact therewith when in true vertical positionand limit the upward horizontal movement of the blade. The frame merelymaintains the blade against falling during the system operation. Theframe is primarily a balancing device yet retains and directs theangular positioning transverse the conveyors. The blad may rock and havelimited vertical rise and fall as the conveyor passes therebeneath. Thisenables the blade to slide over belt connectors, material frozen oradhering to the belts, without damage to the working parts.

Each blade is provided with a trigger 58 so that the blade may easily beshifted for movement transversely of the conveyor into its properadjustment for the particular operation. The transverse setting may besecured by som movement limiting means as for example a simple form ofsuch a mechanism may be a pin 60 extending through the frame member 36to engage a selected notch 62 along a side of one of the members 48. Thepin 66 is lifted, the plate shifted and the pin then dropped into thenotch at that time in registry therewith.

Referring to Fig. l which represents a system set-up for handling potatochips, pop-corn or the like wherein these materials are received fromthe production equipment and delivered to packaging machines, thematerial being fed onto the conveyor l moving toward the conveyor 26. Asth centrally heaped stream reaches the set of three stream separatingand diverting blades,

such stream is separated into three sub-streams,

The only vertical support for each approximately having the same volumeflow. This is accomplished by adjusting the blades transversely of theconveyor so that a comparatively narrower central division i separatedfrom the side flows. The central flow being deeper, the volume flow ofall three is the same. The sub-streams are diverted into the chute andthe plurality of angular inclinations downwardly further tend to createa uniformly even flow onto the conveyor 20.

This even flow is carried by the conveyor 20 to the cross-frame mountedseparators which divide the even flow, sweeping or diverting onepredetermined portion into chute 64 and the remainder into chute 66. Thvolume to each chute may be the same or may be different. All the flowmay be removed from the conveyor at this separation station or onlyportions taken with the remainder carried to additional deposit units.

Receivers 68, as for xample, packaging machines are supplied by thechutes 64, 66, and this supply is regulated to match the capacity of theindividual packaging machine so such machine may operate at peakefficiency at all times. Different capacity machines may besimultaneously supplied from a single conveyor.

In some installations it is advisable to provide other types of bladeadjustments. To this end, one form is shown in Fig. 8, wherein theblade,

are provided at the proper positions along the.

conveyors to accommodate the blades.

A typical mixing or blending pattern for the conveyor system is shown inFig. 5. Herein, con-.

veyors 80, 82, 84, each carry a fraction of the mix to be packaged andhave a capacity sufficient tov supply a member for bulk reception and anumber of packaging machines.

The desired portion from each of the conveyors is diverted by a blade 50into chutes 2B, the chutes spreading that portion onto the conveyor 26.The number of ingredients desired may thus be fed onto the conveyor 20'which carries the group to the packaging machines in the mannerhereinbefore described. The capacity of the feeding units being large, aplurality of conveyors 26 may be supplied and in turn, each conveyorsupply a plurality of packaging machines.

The supports 34 are mounted on the conveyor frames, so that anyvibration of the machine, or disturbances externally of the machineswill not effect the cooperation between the conveyor and the firmlyadjusted yet delicately balanced blades.

It is to be understood that the above detailed description of thepresent invention is intended to disclose an embodiment thereof to thoseskilled in the art, but that the invention is not to be construed aslimited in its application to the details of construction andarrangement of parts illustrated in the accompanying drawings, since theinvention is capable of being practiced and carried out in various wayswithout departing from the spirit of the invention. The language used inthe specification relating to the operation and function of the elementsof the invention is employed for purposes of description and not oflimitation, and it is not intended to limit the scope of the follow ingclaims beyond the requirements of the prior art.

What is claimed and is desired to secure by United States LettersPatent:

1. In a material handling equipment, an endless belt conveyor having itsload carrying reach traveling along a substantially horizontal plane, avertically disposed transverse blade resting by gravity on saidconveyor, means for adjusting said blade transversely across saidconveyor, and guide means for the transverse adjustment extending alongthe upper edge of said blade loosely confining said upper edge thereinand preventing said blade from rocking out of the vertical beyondpredetermined limits.

2. A belt conveyor having its load carrying reach traveling in asubstantially horizontal plane, means for diverting all or a portion ofthe load at an angle oil from said reach comprising a transversely andvertically disposed blade resting by gravity on said conveyor, a framefor holding said blade in its relative position on the conveyor, saidframe comprising a chamber provided with a slot thereinto through whichthe upper portion of the blade extends to have its top edge within thechamber, a load for the blade disposed along its upper edge within thechamber, and means along said slot outwardly extending therefromlimiting the horizontal movement of the blade.

3. An endless belt conveyor having a load carrying reach travelingthrough a substantially horizontal plane, a frame including a support oneither side of the reach at difierent distances therealong, frameconstruction carried by said support over the reach providing atransversely extending slot above the direction of conveyor travel, anda blade resting by gravity on its lower edge on said reach and havingits upper edge loosely disposed with said slot.

4. An endless belt conveyor comprising a frame embodying a substantiallyhorizontal belt support for the load carrying reach thereof, a supportextending upwardly from said frame, a

member mounted on said support extending over the reach and providing aslot diagonally extending above and across said reach, and a bladevertically resting by gravity on its lower edge on said reach and havingits upper edge loosely disposed within said slot.

5. In equipment for handling a continuing confluent flow of material, afirst endless belt conveyor having its load carrying reach travelingalong a substantially horizontal plane, a second endless belt conveyorhaving its load carrying reach traveling below and across the path ofthe load carrying reach of the first convey-or, a chute extendingbetween said conveyors for conducting material from the first conveyoronto the second conveyor, a vertically disposed blade resting by gravityon said first conveyor adjacent said chute disposed to divert materialfrom the first conveyor into said chute, frame means defining limits forfree blade movement therebetween, and means included in said frame fortransversely adjusting said blade across said first conveyor whereby apredetermined portion of the material on said first conveyor may bediverted into said chute.

HAROLD LOUIS HUDSON.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 873,992 Cunningham Dec. 17, 1907 877,141 Thompson Jan. 21,1908 1,427,325 Quick Aug. 29, 1922 1,461,145 Henricks July 10, 19231,481,542 Dunsieth Jan. 22, 1924 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date10,047 Great Britain Oct. 3, 1912

